


Photograph

by dividivisee



Category: VIXX
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Friendship, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, Photography, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-23 05:43:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11983377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dividivisee/pseuds/dividivisee
Summary: You're an amateur photographer who just got the gig that could be your big break, photographing idol group, VIXX. You're hoping this could lead to the start of your dream career but it also seems to be the start of a romance between you and the maknae, Han Sang-hyuk.





	1. Golden Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You just got a surprising phone call from an old friend and, thanks to her, you're the photographer of VIXX's latest fashion editorial. It's your first professional photo shoot and although VIXX seems all right, one of them seems to have caught your eye.

You're sitting in a buzzing photography studio, clutching your DSLR camera tightly to control your trembling hands. You breathe in and out. You feel your feet pulse as they ache in your cheap office shoes. You can already see a small tear on the bottom of the flats.

While you fidget in place, you can hear Ara's voice play in your head,  _I've got a gig for you (Y/N) but you've got to come here now! This is only the beginning!_ You couldn’t recognize her voice when she called you in the middle of a busy weekday. You don’t get calls from cool creative directors of fashion magazines everyday, but when she mentioned  _replacement photographer_ , everything clicked in your mind.

You pull out your phone from your pocket, ignoring the missed calls and unread texts, and turn on the front camera. You see your melting makeup and Ara’s lipstick mark on your cheek when she greeted you. You try to blot it out with a white handkerchief from your pocket right before today’s guests arrive. 

Suddenly, the room bursts into greetings. Six tall, handsome men and the rest of their entourage enter the studio. Ara bounces towards them, gliding on her high heels, and waves you over. You hear her making small talk with the men as you approach them.

"(Y/N), this is VIXX, your models for today!" She introduces them one by one, and they each bow towards you. You return the gesture.

Their leader, N, smiles, "We put ourselves in your hands today, (Y/N)-ssi."

"I will do my best!", you reply a little too fast, hoping they don't notice the shakiness in your voice. They all laugh and agree.

Ara signals for makeup and styling to take over and she knocks you with her elbow. "You'll be fine. Great, actually."

“I hope so”, You say as you let out a sigh.

As music blares over the speakers, the men get groomed and dressed. Today's theme is the boyfriend look: denim jackets, big sweaters, comfy sneakers, soft makeup. You make adjustments to the lighting with your assistants as Leo, their main vocal who hasn’t spoken a word, is getting final touch-ups before the makeup artists scurry off. You take a few breaths before locking in your lens to the camera.  _You're ready for this. You deserve this opportunity._  You feel your heart pumping in excitement.

"Okay, let's start!", You say.

You take a few test shots and check the photos quickly on the laptop.  _We're fine, we're doing this_. "Leo-ssi, could you please bend your knee and lean to one side-Yes, perfect!" Leo quickly adjusts to your feedback and settles into the pose.

You feel the adrenaline of directing and shooting and you keep going until, before you know it, you hear Ara, "I think we got it!".

"What?", You ask.

"I think we got everything for Leo-ssi, let's move onto the next," Ara says, as she gives you a thumbs-up.

You sling your camera to the side and walk over to her. She's sitting in front of the laptop, clicking through the photos.

"Are you sure? I can still take more." Your heart squeezes in anxiety and your arms grow numb.

Leo walks over to the two of you and bends down to take a good look at the pictures. You mentally hear a clock ticking as he looks at himself, his pose changing at every click. "Ah, these are nice," He says nodding with the first small smile you see from him.

"Thank you, Leo-ssi!" You smile and you feel a weight lift off of your shoulders, your body releasing your worries. He straightens up, nods at you, and walks off to get changed.

You look at your friend and she scoffs. "Told you. But we're just getting started."

Time seems to pass by easily as each member steps up to get photographed. In these brief moments you can see flashes of their personalities as they pose for you. Ravi exuded his signature swag but surprised you with a soft thank you for a smooth session afterwards. N quickly got into the groove of the shoot and gracefully changed poses and expressions, while asking for feedback to get things perfect. Ken couldn't resist messing around with his  _aegyo_  energy before Hongbin jumped in to join Ken's pictures as the handsome  _visual_. You're feeling confident as a photographer, as if you’ve been doing this forever. It's been awhile since you've had so much fun.

Laughter drowns out the music playing in the studio, as Hongbin and Ken start to get physical and push each other around while still mugging for the camera.

"Hey, hey, hey!" A voice cuts through the noise and Hyuk walks past you, onto the backdrop, shooing away the rowdy duo.

Ken and Hongbin instantly get on their hands and knees to beg for mercy from the tall maknae but they quickly skitter off when he feigns kicking them, swinging his long legs. You take a few pictures of their antics and when Hyuk finally notices the flash going off, he looks at you and smiles. His eyes crinkle at the corners as he sheepishly bows towards the crew.

"I apologize for our behavior!" He jokes, as the other members snicker at the sidelines. He lastly bows towards you, "I will work hard so please take care of me!".

Before you could reply to his cheeky manner, his  _hyungs_  holler, "Go, Hyogi!".

You shake your head and point towards where Hyuk should be standing. He follows and you hold your camera, "You ready, Hyuk-ssi?".

He nods, slides his hand into his pants' pocket, and pushes back the ash-gray hair from his eyes. His playful smile suddenly changes to a piercing smolder, catching you off guard as you look through your camera's viewfinder. For the first time today, you hesitate to take a picture, feeling his gaze through the glass. Your nerves return with a vengeance and you’re frozen on the spot, unable to breathe or make a sound.

Ara shouts, "Hyuk-ssi, could you please make it cuter! We're going for the boyfriend look!".

Your daze breaks as you hear your friend's voice and you quickly press the shutter before Hyuk returns to his mischievous smile.  _What was that?_  You lower the camera from your face.

"(Y/N)-ssi, are you all right?", Hyuk asks lightly.

"I'm fine!", You stutter as you fiddle with your camera's knobs and settings.

The rest of the shoot goes without a hitch. After Hyuk's portraits, the team scrambles to set-up for the final group photo with all the members of VIXX. You plop down on a seat next to Ara, who is scrolling through the photos, and she hands you a bottle of water. You gulp half of it down and sigh.

"Final stretch, my  _professional photographer_ ," Ara says both jokingly and sincerely. "Just get this group photo down and we can get some drinks, on me!"

"Sure, that sounds nice." You take a moment to look at the pictures you took as she taps the keyboard of the laptop. It's the first time you've ever photographed celebrities, let alone popular idols, and you feel a swell of pride in your chest. You shyly turn towards Ara. "Um…I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity-"

"Opportunity! I think I should be thanking you!" Ara avoids your gaze, embarrassed, “If you weren’t around, I would’ve been so screwed.”

You don't want to push any further, as you can see Ara fighting a smile. "Thank you."

"Okay, break time over." Ara perks her head up and you follow her gaze. You look at the backdrop and VIXX is there, in new outfits and getting touch-ups and adjustments to their clothes. You stand up and stretch, ready for the last push.

You cross your arms as you chew on your bottom lip. You’re trying to imagine the composition of the shot as VIXX fidgets awkwardly in a line. Ken wriggles in anticipation and Leo can't resist giving him a small push to throw him off. The members quietly laugh and talk in hushed tones, waiting for you to give them instructions. You take a test shot and review it on your camera. You sense something wrong and scratch your head. You raise your hand shyly.

"Sorry, I hope it's okay that I'll position you myself. Please, excuse my intrusion!"

You walk towards each member and gently arrange their stance, the placement of their hands, the position of their heads, prodding and moving them here and there. You lightly touch Leo's broad shoulders to face at a certain angle. You tilt Ravi's head just a few inches to the side. N reassures you that it's okay to direct him any way you'd like and Ken mocks him by pretending to be a mannequin when you pose him. You poke at Hongbin's feet to get them in place.

When you're finally in front of Hyuk, you feel the longest moment pass as your eyes meet his. You carefully take his hand and guide it towards Hongbin's shoulder, arranging his fingers one by one.  Without thinking, you hold his hips and make him shift his weight slightly to the side. His body stiffens to the sudden touch but you step back and look at him and it's perfect. You pause to admire your work but then feel the delayed embarrassment of your actions.

"Ah, sorry, sorry, Hyuk-ssi! I was just posing you!", You say.

He laughs. The tips of his ear are tinged pink and he clears his throat, "It's all right."

You quickly turn around hurry back, at a distance, avoiding looking at his direction. Trying to keep your composure, you raise your camera and find all the members ready, carefully arranged. You take a deep breath and take the shot.

When you step out of the studio, the sky has melted from a deep orange to blue and the cold air seems to wake your tired body.

"Good job, everyone!" Ara proclaims as she follows right behind you. "Let's get those drinks, but just give me a second. Got to update the team."

"Sure, no problem," You reply.

Ara walks off to the side and immediately switches to business mode as she begins making calls. You feel a warm buzz from the rush of the photo shoot as you walk further down the driveway. You see the crew exchanging thanks towards each other while waddling towards the vans to pack up the cases of lighting equipment, racks of outfits, and makeup trolleys. A few of them see you and they congratulate you on a job well done. You’ve never felt such satisfaction from work before and silently hope you get the chance again.

You pace back and forth and check your phone while waiting for Ara. You scroll through the missed calls and texts from your office.  _I guess I'll be resigning soon,_  you think as you read the angry messages. _I hated that job anyway._  You shove your phone back in your bag and walk back towards Ara's direction.

"Let's get going!" Ara waves at you as she stands beside her car.

You get into the front seat and shut the door.

"I hope you don't mind that we have some company for our drinking session tonight." She quickly starts the car and locks in her seatbelt.

"Who's the company?", You ask.

"VIXX just invited us to join them and they've asked specifically for you to come." Ara gives you a wink, places her hands on the wheel, and drives off onto the night roads.

You feel your phone vibrating in your bag. You take out your phone and see it’s an unknown number. You hesitate. You wonder if it’s your boss, getting ready to fire you or your officemate, ready to chew you out, but it’s not. It’s Hyuk.

"Good evening, (Y/N)-ssi, this is Hyuk-ssi. Our manager is already drunk but he said to make sure we give Ara-ssi the directions to where we are since it's kind of a hidden spot. She’s not answering her phone though."

You feel your heartbeat race a little.

"Good evening, Hyuk-ssi. Ara is driving right now but just give me the directions and I'll tell her."

"All right!" Hyuk gives you the directions to a small restaurant hidden in the side streets of the city. "The owner is an old friend of our manager and he's not very good with technology so it's not on the map." You hear laughs from the other members around him and the bright, clinking of glasses.

"Ah, I see! Well, thank you for your help! We'll be there soon." You internally congratulate yourself for keeping your cool.

You're about to hang up until you hear faintly Hyuk calling your name. You think he must've given the wrong directions or you consider maybe that they made a mistake in inviting you. You try to relax.

"Yes?" There's a pause. You imagine him smiling, with his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t have a particular era in mind for this, but I imagine it anywhere, probably before Fantasy! I planned this to be a small one-shot to test out the waters of fanfiction but it turns out I was a lot more inspired than I thought I would be.
> 
> I have a very specific image of Hyuk in mind, when I wrote this so I hope you enjoy this version of Hyogie.
> 
> I'm always open for messages or requests about VIXX and I appreciate any comments and kudos!


	2. Take the Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After you've finished your photo shoot with VIXX, you are invited to a night of drinking with the whole group. You promptly get drunk, can't stop staring at Hyuk, and get the feeling he can't stop staring either.

You’re swaying in your seat at the head of the table, moving to the soft beats of a jazz record that you can’t seem to place over the speakers. You feel a pool sloshing from side-to-side in your head. Besides your own lively group of you, Ara, VIXX, and a handful of their managers, there was no one else in the restaurant, a small hole-in-the-wall that was half-bar, half-convenience store in a side street of the city.

You look around aimlessly, from the dim lights on the walls to the ripples of  _soju_ , shaking in its glass. You don’t remember how many shots you’ve taken as you lazily observe everything. Your gaze follows the bits of conversation around the room, Ara telling stories of her beginnings in the fashion industry, Ken showing off his best impressions, Hongbin trying to contain his giggling, and N chastising other members out of habit. You see Ravi taking videos and pictures on his phone, while Leo silently drinks and enjoying the atmosphere.

You don’t fight your drunken stupor as you continue to follow the motions of the sounds around you. Finally, your eyes fall on a half-empty beer mug on the table. You observe how a drop of beer glistens and slips down the outside edge of the rim. A large hand slides against the cold mug and grips the handle. You watch the hand lift the drink and you notice the sharp jawline, red cheeks, and high cheekbones, your eyes traveling around the angular planes of his face. When your eyes finally meet Hyuk’s, he quickly turns his head away from you.

 _Was he looking at me?_  You grip onto the edge of your chair as you continue to sway. You wonder to yourself if you’ve ever seen a person blush so hard. You snicker and shakily take a shot of  _soju_  from your glass.

Suddenly you feel an arm drop heavily on your shoulder. You smell the sweet shampoo of Ara. She gives you a strong kiss on the cheek and hugs you.

“Are you okay, my chick?”, Ara says. She wraps her arms tighter around you. You can’t tell if she’s drunk or just her usual self.

“I’ll give you a ride home so don’t worry about anything. Drink to your heart’s content!” She gives a celebratory cheers and the whole group joins her. You nod compliantly to whatever Ara said, her words sliding over your head. One of VIXX’s managers call her over and she flits back to socializing.

You press your hand against the spot where Ara kissed you. You take out your phone and turn on the front camera to check for any lipstick marks. No marks but you laugh when you see your face filling your cellphone screen. You take a picture for posterity and you switch to the back camera. You hold it up, try to steady your hand, and snap a quick candid of everyone.

 _This is still photography, right?_  You start taking portraits of people around the table. You’re flanked by Leo and Ravi, their conversation passing through you. You hold your phone and lean back to compose a shot of Leo, talking behind a wall of various drink bottles, the light reflecting through the glass. You carefully arrange the empty bottles to frame the photo and click the button. You swivel your body to Ravi, who notices you taking pictures, and he throws up a peace sign and a smug expression. He nudges Hyuk, who is seated right next to him, making him almost spill his drink.

“Hyogi, Hyogi, Hyogi!”, He calls his  _maknae_. Hyuk looks at him and then looks at the camera. He quickly copies Ravi, putting on an arrogant sneer and squinting his eyes.

“Ravi swag.”, Hyuk jokes.

Ravi scoffs and continues to do various poses while Hyuk follows. Each picture getting blurrier and blurrier as it gets harder to suppress your laughter. While you continue to photograph the two, you hear Hongbin shouting prompts at them for different poses and N clapping at their performance.

“ _Aegyo, aegyo_! Sexy, sexy! Leo pose! N expression!”, Hongbin shouts, egging them on.

Ravi quickly adapts to each of Hongbin’s challenges while Hyuk plays along, completely embarrassed but unable to stop.

“Hey, hey, me too!”, Ken whines and jumps into the frame.

“Let’s have a VIXX group photo!”, You slur. You look to the side and wave over Hongbin, N, and Leo to join. Hongbin immediately gets up to join them. N tugs on the sleeve of Leo, who hesitates, but eventually follows behind their leader.

“Ready? 1, 2, 3!” You take a picture of VIXX, bright-eyed and grinning ear-to-ear.

The hours slip by and you’re walking along an empty, wet road leading to the parking lot, trailing behind VIXX and Ara. You still feel the warmth of the  _soju_  heating up your body and the pleasure of having a good day. You smile to yourself as you swipe through the gallery in your phone, starting from photos you took from the shoot earlier. You look through various selfies, VIXX goofing off, and pictures of you working, taken by Ara. You reach the final photo of everyone at the restaurant, happily drunk, with half of your face covering the picture. You feel tipsily nostalgic over the past day. Your early reminiscing is interrupted by Ara’s screeching voice. You look up to see Ara’s silhouette, strutting in her high heels, with her arms draped over Leo and Ken as she attempts to sing one of VIXX’s ballads. You make a mental reminder to thank her again tomorrow.

You put your phone away and inhale and exhale the cold air, savoring the moment, footsteps crunching on the ground. Your worries about the incoming morning, your office job, your boss, the typical daily grind melt away with each breath entering your lungs. You feel your body relax and your mind quiet until you notice someone beside you. You turn your head and see Hyuk, walking at your side.

“(Y/N)-ssi, are you okay?”, Hyuk asks. He continues to look forward while talking.

“Yeah. I had a lot of fun, especially since I don’t usually drink or go out too much…”

“It seems like you don’t.”, Hyuk teases through a smile.

You notice that he has an endearing sheen of pink spread on his cheeks and nose. You wonder if he’s just making small talk and passing by, or judging you for your past misbehavior, or maybe he’s just drunk and cold. You can’t really tell from his expression. You realize that you might have been staring at him for too long and look down at your feet. You feel the effects of alcohol leaving your system and find that you’re not as self-confident as you were back in the restaurant.

“I was wondering if you could-”,  Hyuk pauses his question midway when you both hear a rip. You stop in your tracks and realize that you feel damp gravel on the bottom of your left foot.

You look down and see the small heel of your flat dragging behind, only hanging on to a thin piece of fabric. You slowly lift your leg, wobbling as you move, and you groan. You see a hole where the heel should be and your exposed skin covered in dark pebbles.

“Um…I think my shoe…broke.” You tiptoe on the foot of the damaged shoe and rummage in your bag again for your handkerchief. You pull it out and try to lift your leg again to clean the underside of your foot, but the combination of alcohol and fatigue throw you off balance.

Hyuk quickly steps closer and takes hold of your arm for support. “Thanks.”, You say. You try to wipe as quickly as you can, hoping he doesn’t see your cheap, damaged shoe.

“No problem. Are you sure you can walk back?”

You laugh. “Yeah, of course. It’s just a bit gross though.”, You shrug. You finish cleaning up and he lets go. You lean on your good shoe and tiptoe again with the other, folding up your handkerchief neatly and putting it back in your bag.

“Do you need a piggy-back ride?”, Hyuk asks, his face sincerely concerned.

You let a beat pass, processing what you just heard. You snicker and look at him, “Hyuk-ssi, the parking lot is right there.” You point to a nearby fenced lot. You see the rest of the group already approaching the entrance. “I’ll be fine.”

“Ah, right.”, Hyuk nervously laughs.

There’s an awkward moment of silence until he steps next to you and extends his hand.

“Let me help you walk back.”, He says. “Um…I might get in trouble with Ara-ssi if you trip or something.”

You smile at him, “All right.”

You take his hand and his grip tightens to keep you stable. The warmth of his hand feels comfortable as your hand fits in his. You tiptoe with your left foot forward and lean onto Hyuk’s side when moving your right. You hobble slowly with him matching your pace. You try to focus on keeping your balance, ignoring your heartbeat, the thought of holding Hyuk’s hand, his consideration of you, him looking at you right now. You’re about half-successful.

You finally reach the parking lot and approach Ara’s car, parked next to VIXX’s van.

“What happened?”, Ara squeals. She runs around and opens the passenger seat’s door for you.

Ara watches as Hyuk helps you slowly clamber in. “My stupid shoe broke. Hyuk-ssi was just helping me walk.”, You say as you let go of Hyuk’s hand and settle onto the seat.

“What a gentleman! Thank you for taking care of my  _dongsaeng_ , Hyuk-ssi. The others just got in the van now. ”, Ara says. She bows and waves as walks back to the driver’s seat.

“Hyuk-ssi, thank you very much.” You fiddle with the heel of your broken flat.

You see a small tug on the corners of his lips but he looks away from you. “It’s no big deal.”, He says. “Hey, (Y/N)-ssi?”

“Yeah?” You look up at him.

Hyuk rubs the back of his neck, lingering. At this time, you wish you could take a picture of him, with the neon lights and the deserted streets.

He sighs, smiles, and gives you a small bow. “Good night.”

He shuts your car door before you could say goodbye. You watch him cross in front, with his hands shoved in his pockets, and a frustrated look on his face. When he opens the door to the van, you can see his fellow members dozing off, exhausted from their long day.

Ara honks twice at the van and the van honks back. The cars go their separate ways onto the winding roads of the city.

You yawn and rest your head on the window as Ara drives onto the highway. You fall asleep barefoot, your hands feeling cold, not knowing when you would have such a perfect day again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the image of a drunk VIXX in a dimly-lit restaurant and it was unsurprisingly fun to write. I'd like to thank my SO for the great suggestions in this chapter.
> 
> As usual, I'm always open for messages and I appreciate any comments/kudos!


	3. Hard Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month after your photo shoot, you're still stuck in your corporate office job. A surprise package arrives that leads you to decide on a change of pace.

You are sitting on a toilet seat in one of the stalls of your office bathroom. You shift your weight, adjusting your scrunched-up pencil skirt and fuss with your button-down top, before hunching down closer to your phone, trying to unscramble letters in a word game. You glance at the clock on the top of your screen and feel the time ticking down from your break.

You jolt as your phone buzzes. You receive a text from none other than Ara.   
  
_Sent you something today! Tell me when you get it!_  You always hear her voice in her texts, even if you don't mean to.  
  
You frown and scroll up and down your conversation history. The last time you spoke to her was a month ago, the morning after the photoshoot and drinking session with VIXX.  You remember the day after clearly:  waking up with a hangover, lying about feeling sick, getting an earful from your superior, and diving straight back into the worst of work with difficult clients and a clogged up to-do list.   
  
You read your messages. You thank her, She brushes it off and praises you, you get embarrassed, and finally she asks you when will you “ _quit your damn job so you could pursue your photographer career_ ”. No replies afterwards.  
  
You sigh deeply, trying to expel the pang of guilt in your chest. Your mind is still as blank as it was a month ago.

You straighten your body, stretch your arms over your head, and stare at the door in front of you. You look at the bathroom door, a dull gray with no scratches or markings. The view reminds you of the countless days you've spent plopped on this seat either hiding from your boss, playing games on your phone, or just crying.  
  
“ _What was I doing here? Why am I wasting my time? How can I do this while my old classmates are succeeding?_ ”,  You would ask yourself regularly in this exact spot, confronted by this blank door, and the answer would always be the same, the crippling combination of financial, family, and societal pressures. You fantasize about a resignation letter you wrote months ago on your computer, waiting to be dated and printed.  
  
You pull up your phone again and stare at the blank reply line, your thumbs hovering over the keyboard. But before you could begin making a reply, you hear the bathroom door open and high-heeled steps shuffling in. It was your cue to leave so you flush the toilet, wash your hands, and exit the stall. You return to work.   
  
"Are you (Y/N)-ssi?", A young man asks.  
  
You're standing at the entrance of the dark, empty office, in front of the young man, who's dressed in a rain jacket, jeans, and sturdy sneakers, lugging a hefty backpack. He smells like a mixture of sweat and the outside.   
  
"Yes, I am.", You reply. You were in the middle of getting ready for your noontime nap, a rare quiet moment in the office, until the young man knocked on the glass door. You fidget in place, standing uncomfortably in another pair of cheap flats.  
  
The young man smiles and nods. He hands you a little clipboard with two small slips of paper.  
  
"Kindly sign both, please!", He says while pointing at the lines at the bottom of the receipts.  
  
He quickly twists his bag towards his front and rummages through. You can hear the contents roughly rustling together as his hand sifts the inside. You sign the papers and hand the clipboard back to him.  
  
"Thank you!", He takes the clipboard, slips it into his back pocket, and hands you two plastic-wrapped magazines, with your name labeled on both. He bows and bids you goodbye.  
  
You look at the magazines and see the title emblazoned on top, " _CHICK_ ", in a bold font. The cover was a colorful photo of a trendy actress and model, sunbathing on a roof in nineties-themed clothing. You see a few headlines littering the cover but your eyes fall on one, " _Your next boyfriends, VIXX_ ". You couldn't run any faster to your desk.  
  
You turn on the lights, skid onto your desk chair, and quickly open up one of the copies. You flip through the pages and there you see it, in its printed glory, VIXX standing the way you precariously envisioned and in white letters beside them, " _Photographed by (Y/N)_ ". You stare at it in disbelief, clapping your hand over your mouth.   
  
You quickly take a picture of the first page and send it to Ara, your sheer excitement overtaking any anxiety. You carefully turn the pages to see the whole editorial: a close-up of N with one of his signature expressions, a full-body of Leo, looking to the side, soft and sentimental, a portrait of Ravi artfully slouched on a chair, Ken and Hongbin laughing while play fighting, and Hyuk gazing straight to the camera. You feel your face growing warm and you trap a scream in your mouth.   
  
Your phone buzzes and it's a reply from Ara, " _Congratulations on your first editorial!! I told you they would turn out amazing!!_ " Your mind races, thinking of how to repay her.

You feel your heartbeat pounding, sending adrenaline all over your body. You stand up and pace near your desk, trying to calm yourself down. You check the time on your phone, you have a few minutes until everyone returns from their lunch break.  
  
_Fuck it_. You sit back down in front of your computer and the whirring sound of a printer fills the empty room.  
  
When you step out of your office building, you feel light, the lightest you've ever felt in a while. You begin walking with a skip to your step and you resist the urge to do a little jig. You look at your phone and your eyes widen when you see that you have hundreds of notifications from one of your social media accounts, the account you used to share your photography.  
  
You furrow your eyebrows. You haven't touched that account in months. You open the application and see that you've been flooded with a huge number of new followers and comments on your older works, none of these people you recognize.  
  
As you scroll through the commotion, you begin smelling a delicious aroma. You look up from your phone, and notice that you're already outside of the little, casual dumpling place you and Ara agreed to meet at. You peep into the windows and notice she isn't there yet so you decide to wait for her outside of the restaurant while sorting through the sudden attack on your social media.

Your thumb feels a growing cramp as the timeline of notifications seem endless. You groan as the list goes on until an unfamiliar username catches your eye. You tap on their profile.

You see that it's Hyuk’s verified profile, followed by hundreds of thousands of people. You refresh the page to make sure the number is correct. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t change. Besides his selfies and rare glimpses into his personal life, his latest posts are him showing off the editorial in the magazine, him showing off the pictures you took, and crediting you as the photographer.  
  
" _Look at my hyungs! Thank you for having us, CHICK magazine!_ " His caption reads on the pictures of his fellow members, tagging you and CHICK magazine's social media account. You hold your breath as you see sixty-thousand likes and sigh in relief when you read most, if not all, the comments were positive.  
  
You press on another post, his solo portrait and blink when you read fifty-thousand likes. " _Was really nervous during this photo shoot, but it was an unforgettable day!_ ", He wrote, tagging you and the magazine again. 

You laugh and think, “ _That makes the two of us_ ”, and smile. 

After finding out that Hyuk was the cause of the fuss online, your stomach grumbles, a sign that Ara is ten minutes late. You look towards one end of the street to the other and can't seem to spot her in the distance. You think for a minute and decide to get a hold of the man himself.  
  
" _Good evening, Hyuk-ssi. Are you busy now? Can I call you?_ ", You type and send off to Hyuk, hoping you weren’t disturbing him in anyway. In the back of your mind, you considered the possibility of him changing his number but surprisingly, you get his reply.  
  
" _I'm not busy, go ahead and call. :)_ ", He says.  
  
Your heart skips a beat, but you call him anyway. You listen to the ring twice before he answers.  
  
"Good evening, Hyuk-ssi! I'm glad I was able to catch you. I’m sure you have a full schedule."  
  
"Nah, I’m just eating dinner," his voice, warm and familiar through the phone, "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing much, I just wanted to thank you for sharing the photo shoot and tagging me! I got a lot of new followers and likes and I'm sure the exposure will help a lot!", You say while bowing your head to no one in particular.

"Ah, it's no big deal, (Y/N)-ssi," He laughs, "I really hope it does help you and…Um, I should be thanking you for taking such nice pictures."  
  
"What! You made my job easier by being so handsome!", You laugh and there's a deathly pause, you horrified by what you just blurted out and Hyuk completely silent. You feel each second painfully pass between the two of you.  
  
You look around awkwardly, trying to find something to say, but all you hear is handsome ringing in your head. Unluckily, at the turn of your head, Ara is in your face, her loud makeup emphasizing her growing sneer.

"(Y/N)-ssi? I was-", Before Hyuk could finish his thought, you interrupt his thought as you watch Ara’s grin get wider and wider.   
  
You swiftly turn your back on her and cup your mouth over your phone, "Hyuk-ssi, I'm so sorry, I have to go now. Good night!" You hang up on him and look at Ara, whose grimace has somehow gotten worse.  
  
"So, who could that handsome person be?", Ara says as she creeps closer to you.  
  
"No one, Ara!", You laugh nervously, "Let's go in, it's so cold!" You rub your arms and shiver with a dramatic flourish as you brisk walk through the restaurant's doorway. Ara follows behind you, whining your name.  
  
Ara doesn't let up the whole night, asking who this secret lover of yours is. You valiantly attempt to protect your privacy and Hyuk's by dodging her questions and denying her sordid assumptions. You hide your phone in your bag, despite the constant buzz of notifications, in fear of Ara snatching it the moment you pull it out. Eventually her focus turns to drinking rather than interrogating.   
  
The two of you eat and drink merrily, surrounded by the fog of tasty dumplings. You clink your glasses together in celebration of your first work in a major publication and your first step towards pursuing your dreams. You don't hold back, as you and Ara hop from bar to bar,  feeling untethered to any of your worries.

When you finally get home, you stumble straight into bed, still dressed in the wrinkled button-down and your most hated skirt. You fall asleep in a happy haze, knowing that you never have to wear this outfit, that you don't have to hang out in bathroom stalls, and you'll never be obligated to touch a spreadsheet ever again. You groan in your sleep as an alert rings off your phone, a text message from a certain, flustered idol.

“ _(Y/N)-ssi, are you alright? I got a bit worried since you hung up so fast! I know it’s already pretty late, so I just hope you’re safely asleep but text me when you wake up, so I know you’re not dead or something. Good night!_ ”

Another alert follows.

“ _By the way, let’s work together again soon, before I’m no longer handsome, haha! ;)_ ”

You snore peacefully as your phone battery dies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit difficult writing this one, so I'm glad I pushed through! Honestly, might not be enough Hyuk (especially compared to the last chapter!) but I hope you stick with me!
> 
> As usual, I'm always happy to get messages and talk and would appreciate any kudos and comments. Thank you!


	4. Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're at your first industry party, surrounded by creatives and influencers in the magazine business. You spark a friendship with a writer but it catches the eye of a jealous idol.

_Click!_

You bring down your phone and look at the photo on the screen, a sea of heads, lit by strings of paper lanterns and festive streamers, under the night sky. You tuck your hair behind your ear as a gust of wind blows through the roof deck. You peer over the edge of the railing. From five floors up, you see bare streets and small figures heading home. You face the party, futzing with your outfit as you see models, stylists, and artists pass you by. You check the time on your phone, 30 minutes have passed since you got here, and your battery is already low. You shove it into your pocket.

_You can handle a party, right?_ You ask yourself. You scan the venue and spot the bar. You walk in its direction.

On the way, you catch snippets of conversation, floating on top of the live band’s music. People asking about other people, famous spots, and whether anyone will show up to this party. You feel like an outsider, exploring a completely new scene.

As you slowly maneuver through the spaces between bodies and dodging eccentric accessories, you spot a radiant Ara, still as energetic ever despite standing on sky-high heels. You notice she's surrounded by handsome men, vying for her attention. You pull out your phone and snap a picture. You make a mental reminder to send it to Ara later as you continue your trek towards the bar.

After much finessing, you finally reach the back of the crowd waiting for drinks. You crane your neck and tiptoe, counting the people separating you and a cold bottle of beer.

You lose your balance and push into someone on your side. “Ah, sorry!” You turn towards him and bow in apology.

You look at him and you get the feeling that you've seen him before. Tan skin, a little scruffy, you go through your mental directory of the few people you know until there’s a match.

“Aren't you Tae-hee-ssi?”

“It’s (Y/N)-ssi, right?”

You both point at each other simultaneously.

There's a pause and then laughter. You exchange greetings.

“Glad to meet you! Your editorial with VIXX was nice.”, Tae-hee smiles wide. You think he looks just like his display pictures on social media.

“Thank you, Tae-hee-ssi! Your comic for this month’s CHICK was really heartbreaking!”

“Thank you, I love to make people cry.” He chuckles under his breath.

You finally reach the front of the bar and you wait patiently as three bartenders frantically open bottles and pour drinks for guests. One of them spots you and points towards a drink menu taped on the top of the counter.

“What will you have?” Tae-hee asks.

You notice they have nothing but beer or tequila shots. “I'll have a beer please.”

He raises two fingers, “Two beers please.” The bartender nods.

He pulls two cold, dark green bottles out of a large ice-filled cooler. He places them on the bar and swiftly removes the caps. You watch the cold stream of air lazily rise above the rim.

Tae-hee grabs the bottles and hands one to you, “Cheers.” You clink your drinks and take a swig. You feel the alcohol warming your body and smile at Tae-hee. You think the night shouldn't go too badly at all. The two of you squeeze yourselves through the throngs of people to the edge of the party.

Tae-hee leans his back towards the railing, the wind billowing through him. You watch him take a drink of his beer and before either of you could speak, you hear a commotion. You turn your head to see people slowly swarming towards the entrance, cameras flashing, and growing chatter.

“Must be someone famous.” Tae-hee shrugs, “There's always at least one in these magazine parties.”

You a notice a paper lantern flickering to life over him, bathing him in a warm red light. “Could I take a picture of you?” You blurt out.

Tae-hee raises his eyebrows and shrugs again. “I guess so.” He smiles, his drink held slackly in his hand, his shirt billowing recklessly, and the city skyline as his backdrop.

You set your beer on the floor and get your phone ready. You bring up the camera and take the picture.

“How about this?” Tae-hee shows off his profile and runs his hand through his hair with dramatic flourish, his expression imitating the smoldering models of CHICK. You laugh, adjust the composition, and take another picture.

“Okay, stop, or else I'll have to charge you.” He waves his hand, embarrassed at the attention. “Show me, show me.”

You walk to stand beside him and he steps closer to look at the result. You feel his breathing and smell the faint scent of cigarettes from his clothes.

“Not bad!” His mouth comically downturned. “Now I can say I have a portrait by the great (Y/N)-ssi!” He makes a gesture of grandeur.  

You laugh as you elbow him away. Tae-hee moans and clutches his stomach exaggeratedly. You move to pick up your beer from your previous spot and drink. You exhale with a refreshing _ah_ when you finish and look up to find Hyuk standing in front of you. 

You spot the differences, his ash-brown hair slicked down and dyed jet black, his dark, rugged clothes. You find it hard to believe this was the soft _maknae_ from a month ago. Hyuk’s eyes dart up and down, inspecting you and Tae-hee. He shoves his hands in his pockets as he smiles and walks towards you.

“(Y/N)-ssi, it’s nice to see you again!” You feel his body heat as he stands beside you. Goosebumps prickle all over your skin.

“Hyuk-ssi, this is Tae-hee, he writes for CHICK and also writes comics.”

Tae-hee bows and extends his hand. “Happy to meet you, Hyuk-ssi! I'm a fan of VIXX’s work. Don't know how idols do it!”

Hyuk takes his hand and gives it a firm shake, “Thank you, don't know how you writers do it or get paid but it must be fun!” He lets go of Tae-hee’s hand.

You see the corner of Tae-hee’s mouth twitch. You hear Hyuk chuckle, enjoying himself. You look down and fidget with your empty beer bottle.

Tae-hee clears his throat, “It is! I'm just in this month's CHICK and have a few indie comics out. Honestly, it makes me nervous when I see my works printed!”

“Oh, I see!” Hyuk feigns interest.

“Come on, Hyuk-ssi,” You nudge him gently, “You were just saying how nervous you were at my photo shoot.”

He scoffs. “Well, usually we have professionals shoot us.” He laughs but stops himself midway.

You feel a thud in your chest. You’re unable to move or to speak, busy processing what you just heard, feeling the self-doubt creep in.

Tae-hee looks blatantly at his watch, “I've got to go. See you around, (Y/N)-ssi, Hyuk-ssi.” He bows and scuttles away, disappearing into the party.

Your face grows hot with confusion, embarrassment, and frustration, Hyuk’s words echoing in your ears. You step away from him and hold your head up, wiping away the hot tears welling in the corners of your eyes. You hear Hyuk clear his throat and saying your name but a fog fills your head. You push yourself into the thick of the crowd.

You squeeze through the people, looking for a place to toss your bottle before going home. You erase any remnants of crying before you spot a trash can far off to the side. You make yourself as small as you can and move quickly to get to the bin. You haphazardly toss the beer into the trash and face the opposite way but before you could leave, you see N beaming at you.

“(Y/N)-ssi!” He waves, “Congratulations on the photos, all of us loved it. You made us look super cool!” He claps his hands excitedly.

You give him a tight-lipped smile, “I just tried my best, N-ssi.” You bow and try to slink away but you fail to find a path through the other party guests.

“We actually sent Hyuk to go find you when Ara told us you were here! Did you see him?”

“Yeah, we talked a minute ago.” You try to angle your face away from N as you feel your eyes grow puffy and swell.

“Are you all right, (Y/N)-ssi?” You feel N get closer, “Did something happen?”.

“No, I think I'm just tired!” You laugh nervously, “I'm already heading home.”

N straightens up, “Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that.” He puts his hands on his hips and clicks his tongue. “Want to say bye to the others before leaving? They wanted to thank you!”

“All right.” You smile weakly as N leads you to Ken, Ravi, Leo, and Hongbin, waiting in front of a photo wall. 

“(Y/N)-ssi!” Ken calls out to you. They all walk over, bow, and thank you for your work, talking over each other.

“I wouldn't have thought that was your first time doing a magazine photo shoot!” Ravi says.

“I think they turned out really nice,” Leo says as he nods in agreement.

“Have you seen Hyogi? He was looking for you.” Hongbin asks as he checks his phone for messages.

“I'm here.” Hyuk walks out from behind him, avoiding your gaze, his head tilted down.

“VIXX and my dear chick, (Y/N)! Group photo please!” Ara shouts, appearing from thin air, trailed by one of the many party photographers. She flails her arms horizontally, gesturing for you and VIXX to compress.

Like clockwork, the men shuffle into formation, placing you in the middle, between Ken and N. You struggle to keep your smile after the camera clicks multiple times and you slowly step out of frame before more cameras appear to take the idols’ photos.

You finally make it to the elevator room after navigating your way through the packed roof deck. The sounds of the party become muffled behind the heavy door. You sigh with relief, finally alone. You mash the down button and the doors slide open. You step into the bare box and slouch against the wall. You close your eyes and breathe for a minute until you hear footsteps racing towards the elevator and see the doors open again.

“Can we talk?” Hyuk asks, “I understand if you don't want to though but if you give me a chance.” A drop of sweat rolls down his brow.

“Oh!” You play looking around the elevator, “You want to talk to a nobody like me?”

The elevator doors try to shut but can't with Hyuk blocking the way. “Just get in, Hyuk-ssi.”

Hyuk steps in and it closes, trapping the both of you inside. You begin praying that it's a quick trip to the ground floor as you feel tension fill up the space.

“I'm sorry.”  Hyuk stammers, “I didn't mean what I said but there's no excuse for hurting you.”

“Yeah, what was that?” You sneer, “I know we're not...friends...but that...came out of nowhere.”

“I wasn't,” Hyuk rubs the back of his neck, “feeling myself." 

“I was annoyed or angry or something, I don't know... when I saw you with another guy.” 

You look at him and his eyes fall to the floor.

“I want you to know that I really was nervous when I met you because you were so professional and cool. When you called me last time, I was happy that you noticed me and I was excited to see you tonight but I messed up. I'm sorry.”

“Hyuk-ssi, you can stop apologizing.” Your eyes meet, completely different from his cold gaze before.

“I'm actually surprised with how I reacted.” You clasp your hands behind you. “I'm proud of my work and as long as I was happy with it, others opinions didn't matter. I guess I was wrong. I know I still lack a lot.” You laugh softly.

A breeze blows in as the doors slide open to a hallway facing the city streets. You shake off the cold and step out of the elevator.

“Anyway, it’s fine. I'm going home now. Good night.” You bow and begin walking.

“Wait!” You don't stop but Hyuk catches up to you. “How are you getting home?”

“Hmm...it's like a fifteen-minute walk from here?” You blink, trying to remember how long it took you earlier.

“Can I walk you home?”

“You don't have to. It's really near.”

“I want to and I want to make sure you get home safe." 

You stop walking and you swerve towards him, staring him down.

“Suit yourself.” You say.

Hyuk grins and you both walk in silence in the dimly-lit, quiet city, passing by empty malls, convenience stores, and fast food joints.

He breaks the silence, “How can I make it up to you, (Y/N)-ssi? Anything you want. I'm not very rich so don't ask for five million won or a trip abroad.”

You laugh while side eyeing him, “Come on.”

“Please, I'll do anything.” 

You shake your head but you get an idea. You begin thinking of all of the possibilities.

“Do you need a butler for a day? A nice fancy restaurant dinner?” He rattles off suggestions, “How about a date?”

“Hyuk-ssi.” You stop walking before a street crossing. The red light blinks across the two of you.

“Yes?” He smiles.

“Could you model for me?”

“What?” Hyuk furrows his eyebrows.

You forcefully take his hand with both of yours. “You see, you are right. Nobody really knows who I am besides that one photo shoot we did. I need more for my portfolio and more exposure and what better way to fill it up than with someone who has a bajillion followers, so let's have a shoot!” You look into his eyes as earnestly as you can, taking your shot in the dark.

He cocks his head and licks his lips, scratching the side of his head. The red walking sign turns green.

“Well, okay, I'll do it! Just the two of us though. This is just for your portfolio!”

“Yes!” You happily walk across the street with a skip to your step, hand-in-hand with Hyuk, dragging him along.

You reach the front of your building and point at the door. “Well, this is me.” You swing your arms until you feel the familiar warmth of Hyuk’s hand. You see he looks pleased. 

“Thank you for letting me walk you home.”

“Hyuk-ssi, it’s no problem.” You step towards your door and loosen your hold but he tugs you back.

“And thank you for giving me a second chance.” He smiles at you and squeezes your hand. You feel your heart pounding in your chest. You lose yourself staring at him for a second but you blink and let go of his hand.

“It's okay.” You shrug as you open the door to your building. “You were jealous.” You bid him good night, leaving a red-faced, dumbfounded Hyuk on the street.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on my VIXX tumblr @ dividivisee !


End file.
